


Who Said Romance Was Dead?

by Owlwithafringe



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gwaine's P.O.V, M/M, Merlin/Gwaine Brotp, Mild Language, Protective Gwaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-21 23:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1567835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlwithafringe/pseuds/Owlwithafringe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is not a man who gets ‘wooed’ often. Not of course, that there is anything wrong with that. It’s just unfortunate for him that he has a horrendous track-record: There was that creepy boy-toy Mordred, and that asshole Cedric, and who could possibly forget that wanker, Valiant. To be honest Gwaine could sit there all day and carry on listing the creeps Merlin's dated, as well as all their dick-ish tendencies, which is specifically why Gwaine is very protective over Merlin and his not-so-great choice of men.</p><p>The point being though, when a bouquet of flowers are delivered to the door of his flat for his flatmate, Gwaine, it was safe to say was suspicious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who Said Romance Was Dead?

**Author's Note:**

> Find the bunch of flowers from the start here: http://www.girlfashionstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Forget-me-not-wedding-bouquet1.jpg - Forget me nots mean true love in the language of flowers (yay romantic arthur).

Merlin is not a man who gets ‘wooed’ often. Not of course, that there is anything wrong with that. It’s just unfortunate for him that he has a horrendous track-record: There was that creepy boy-toy Mordred, and that asshole Cedric, and who could possibly forget that wanker, Valiant. To be honest Gwaine could sit there all day and carry on listing all the creeps Merlin's dated, as well as all their dick-ish tendencies, which is specifically why Gwaine is very protective over Merlin and his not-so-great choice of men.

The point being though, when a bouquet of flowers are delivered to the door of his flat for his flatmate, Gwaine, it was safe to say, was suspicious. The flowers were a mixture of forget me nots and some other blue flowers, which Gwaine couldn't identify. After all, he wasn't a florist. He only knew what forget me nots looked like though because they were Merlin's favourite flower.

Gwaine had signed for them and then of course gave them to Merlin who had been making a brew in the kitchen. He watched Merlin admire them and leaned into sniff them, as Gwaine perched himself on kitchen worktop. The bright blue of the flowers accented Merlin's half shut eyes as he inhaled the sweet scent of the flowers. Gwaine observed as Merlin found the little card that came with the flowers, imparting a small message from its sender. Gwaine also observed the small blush that flushed over Merlin's cheekbones as he read the message. 

"They from anyone special?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin jumped, startled. It seemed he'd forgotten that Gwaine was still there.

Stuttering he had replied, "No, er no-one, no-one special" before grabbing a vase to put the flowers in and scurrying off to his bedroom, claiming he had some stuff to do for work.

Gwaine could have probably brushed it off. There would be plenty of reasonable explanations as to why someone would send Merlin flowers. Gwen, their friend who also worked with Merlin, was known to have sent Merlin gifts as thanks after Merlin had covered for her at work, or something similar. Merlin's mother, Hunith, could have sent them in a sudden fit of love for her only son. Hell, even Lancelot could have sent them because Lancelot leaves stars and rainbows and unicorns in his wake, he’s that nice a guy. No, Gwaine could have overlooked it. Except it kept happening. 

Flowers started appearing on their doorstep every week without fail, always reducing Merlin to a pile of blushing mush. They'd even run out of vases to put them in and under Merlin's instance had started putting them in empty jars and glasses because 'they're too pretty to be left to die'. 

It wasn't even just the flowers though. 

Merlin was spending less time at home - admittedly that could be accounted for at work. But there was other things too. For example, one night Merlin and Gwaine had decided to have a movie night. They were tucked up on the sofa in the dark watching X-Men First class. Or at least Gwaine was trying to. It was quite hard to watch when Merlin's phone kept lighting up every ten seconds, quickly followed by the quick tapping of a reply as Merlin's thumbs danced over the keys.

Not even Michael Fassbender could attract Merlin's attention from his phone.

And there was of course the fact that Merlin was walking around the entire time with a love-struck moony look on his face.

Merlin hadn't actually told him yet, but Gwaine is not an idiot, and could put the pieces of the puzzle together: Merlin had a new bloke on the scene. A secret mystery bloke who apparently enjoyed sending flowers. With Merlin's history with men though, Gwaine was concerned. 

It was for this very reason that two months after the whole ordeal had begun that Gwaine decided to voice his opinion on the matter.

Just not to Merlin. He didn’t want to be locked out of the flat.

No, he was at a Guys Night at the local pub, The Rising Sun, with his friends. Merlin had been invited too, but had declined. 

After five pints of beer, a shandy and three shots of whiskey it could be concluded that Gwaine, Lancelot, Leon, Percival and Elyan were completely and utterly sloshed. 

Which of course meant that it was a perfect opportunity to bring up his concerns about Merlin's love life. 

The five friends were sitting in a dark booth in the corner of the bar, surrounded by empty glasses, recounting drunken tales of misadventures with Gwaine contributing his fair share of course, when he slipped it in.

"You know Merlin has a new bloke." 

Four sets of eyes swung around to meet his. Everyone looked intrigued except for Elyan who looked like he was trying hard not to be sick.

It was Leon who decided to reply using the utmost eloquence with "Yeah?"

Gwaine nodded seriously. "Yup. It's a meeeeystery man." Gwaine slurred.

Percival looked up from his drink looking concerned.

"You mean Merlin hasn't told you who it is?"

Gwaine snorted. "Merlin's told me nought. Zilch. Nada. He hasn't even told me he that he has a new man."

Percival looked confused now. "Then how'd you know he'd gotten a new boyfriend?"

"Well, i live with him don't i? I knooow these things." Gwaine replied huffing.

Leon who had been watching the exchange with drunken amusement decided to speak up before Percival gave himself a headache from thinking too hard, and before Gwaine pouted himself to death.

“Well Mr Psychic you’re gonna have to give us more than that before we go storming in to grill Merlin about it – I mean I take it that’s what you want us to do otherwise you wouldn’t have raised the subject.”

Gwaine nodded firmly. This was serious business that needed discussing.

“Well to start off he keeps getting flowers _every_ week, and keeps getting texts n’disappearing and he looks so mooooony.”

Elyan who had successfully managed not puke everywhere but during the conversation head had migrated to rest on the table, groaned as he looked up. Resting his chin on the sticky table between the empty glasses he said,

“If you ask me, this mystery man sounds quite nice.”

Gwaine snorted. “Well nobody did ask you Elyan. Now roll over and go back to sleep.”

Elyan groaned again and did just that. Gwaine was just about to continue with making a plan when he got distracted by the bubbles in his drink and started laughing at them.

Leon who had apparently been anointed chairman of the Council of Merlin’s Love Life Protectors, decided to make an executive decision. 

“M’think that Elyan is right.. this doesn’t sound like the normal dickstain Merlin usually attracts. That being said I definitely think we should talk to Merlin about it and get to meet this guy.”

Gwaine thought it wasn’t fair that Leon was in charge. It was _him_ that was Merlin’s flatmate _and_ his best friend. However he agreed with Leon’s plan and decided to elaborate on it.

“You mean we meet him so we can threaten him?”

Leon, who after his very exhausting decision decided he needed a drink, and was half way his pint when Gwaine spoke. Instead of responding to him he carried on drinking but waggled his finger at Gwaine in confirmation. At least Gwaine hoped it was confirmation.

“Alrighty then. We’ll meet at mine tomorrow for dinner and ask Merlin together as a group of concerned mates.”

Grunts of agreement came from around the table, even from Elyan, but he might have just been grunting in his sleep. It was known to happen on occasion. 

Lancelot who had been texting Gwen for the entire conversation looked up when Gwaine mentioned threatening a stranger. Obviously because of his kind and sweet nature, he became the voice of reason.

But everyone knows that everyone ignores the voice of reason when they are drunk.

So the topic was dropped and everyone went back to drinking, except for Elyan who was still asleep, and Gwaine began a story about this woman he’d met a couple of years ago whilst traveling in Indonesia and how it ended up with him streaking through a village in broad day light.

At the end of the night everyone stumbled back to their retrospective homes, ready to pass out on their beds or couches – whichever one they made it to first, not-so-eagerly anticipating the headache they would inevitably wake up with in the morning.

And if Elyan woke up with a drawn on moustache in marker pen, well Gwaine would say no more about it. (It was his own fault for falling asleep though, in front of four drunken men with the mental age of five years old and a Sharpie.)

\-------------------------

Cracking his eyes open Gwaine blinked dumbly at the ceiling above. A throbbing ached within his skull. It was as if a stampede of horses had trampled on his head. Knowing Gwaine whilst drunk though, it wasn’t out of the possibility that horses had indeed danced on his head. 

Gwaine slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, testing to see if he would be sick or not. 

His eyes burned. Why was the sun so bright through the curtains? He should take them back and get better ones if those can’t do their job properly. 

His mouth tasted foul too. He’d quite possibly snogged a chain smoker. Or a bottle of tequila. _Lovely._

Gwaine dragged a hand lazily through his hair and then down his face. All in all he felt pretty rough. Gwaine, being quite used to alcohol fuelled nights was well hardened to the after-affects in the morning. The fact he was feeling so horrible this morning, meant he must have really overdone it last night. 

If his head hadn’t been hurting so much, he probably would have worked out that his friends weren’t used to drinking as much as him and therefore would be feeling even worse. And then would have laughed about it. Unfortunately, his head _did_ hurt that much, so he didn’t even consider the possibility. 

Carefully, he pulled himself up and off his bed. It turns out he had actually managed to reach his bed after all. That’s a plus. At least he didn’t wake up with a hangover and a cramped neck from sleeping on the couch.

Slowly but surely, Gwaine made his way to the kitchen where Merlin was sitting at the table nursing a cup of black coffee to wake himself up. Merlin in actual fact couldn’t stand black coffee but it was the only thing that made him a functional human being before midday. 

Gwaine flopped himself on the chair on the opposite side of the table to Merlin and rested his head on top of it, bringing his arms protectively around his head to block out all sunlight and noise.

Merlin smirked whilst sipping his coffee.

“I didn’t know you could even get hangovers anymore.”

Gwaine only whimpered.

Taking pity on his friend, Merlin pushed the cup of coffee he had made for Gwaine earlier when he heard him attempting to get up, and a packet of paracetamol. 

Gwaine looked up and eagerly grabbed them before wincing at the fast movement. He quickly swallowed the tablets before cupping the coffee delicately in his hands and soaking up the heat. He hesitantly allowed himself a small smile at Merlin. 

“Where would I be without you Merlin?”

“Drunk in a ditch somewhere.”

“Hmmm. Probably.”

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, sipping on their coffees when Merlin looked like he had a eureka moment. He set down his mug and patted down the pockets on his jeans until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a mobile phone and slid it across the table to Gwaine.

“This is yours. You dropped it on your way in last night.”

Gwaine grinned as he picked it up and clicked on its screen, revealing three new messages.

“How bad was i?”

Merlin sniggered. 

“I haven’t seen you that drunk since your 21st birthday.”

Gwaine smiled as he clicked to open the new messages. He sighed wistfully.

“Oh, those were the days.”

Merlin raised a Gaius-worthy eyebrow at Gwaine’s antics but said nothing more and went back to dutifully sipping his coffee.

Gwaine scrolled through the messages. One from Leon, one from Percy and one from Lancelot.

Gwaine opened the text from Lancelot first. 

_**From: Lancelot  
To: Gwaine** _

_I managed to drag Elyan and myself back to Gwen’s. I’m not sure if Elyan’s even alive though. We won’t be able to make it to yours today. Good luck._

Gwaine smirked at Lance’s immaculate grammar on the text. Even hungover he still managed to be perfect.

The second one, from Percival was less readable.

_**From: Percival  
To: Gwaine** _

_Jfc, I feel lyk shit. remind me never 2 go drinking wth u again._

The last one from Leon, was less than complimentary.

_**From: Leon  
To: Gwaine** _

_I h8 u so much rite now u irish bastard. my head hurtin like a bitch. i cant even get out of bed. ur gonna have 2 speak 2 merlin about his bloke on ur own. good luck with ur mission m8. let me know how it goes._

Gwaine groaned. He didn’t want to have to do this on his own. He needed his back up, so Lancelot could give Merlin puppy-dog eyes if he got all defensive.

Gwaine glanced up from his phone to see Merlin had taken out his own one. 

If Gwaine was going to do this, he was going to need Merlin’s full attention.

He looked down at his mobile phone’s screen and opened up a new message. He began typing out a text.

_**From: Gwaine  
To: Merlin** _

_So, are you ever gonna tell me?_

He quickly sent it, before he regretted it – he was Gwaine, and he didn’t regret things – and went back to slurping on his hot drink. 

Merlin’s phone buzzed in his hand, making him jump. 

_New message from Gwaine_

Gwaine watched as Merlin in the corner of his eye as he glanced up at him, whilst innocently drinking his drink and pointedly not looking at him.

He saw Merlin frowning as he opened the text. He tilted his head in confusion as he read it, and glanced back at Gwaine before tapping out a reply.

_**From: Merlin  
To: Gwaine** _

_Tell you about what?_

_**From: Gwaine  
To: Merlin** _

_The texts, the looks, not to mention the weekly delivery of flowers. Something you want to tell me?_

_**From: Merlin  
To: Gwaine** _

_Ah._

_**From: Gwaine  
To: Merlin** _

_Yes. Ah._

The black haired man slowly placed his phone on the table and cautiously met Gwaine’s expectant gaze. 

“I.. er. I feel a bit stupid texting when you’re right in front of me.”

Gwaine leaned back in his chair and nodded, frowning a little.

“So.. Merlin. Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

Merlin blushed a little as being caught out, and chewed on his lip as he thought. Gwaine softened his gaze a little. The last thing he wanted to do was make Merlin feel anxious. He just wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery.

“So. I have a new boyfriend.”

Merlin waved his hands in a ‘surprise!’ gesture, trying to make a joke to lighten the tense atmosphere.

“Uhuh.”

Merlin started nibbling on his lip again, and wouldn’t meet Gwaine’s eyes. He looked as if he wanted the kitchen to catch on fire, so he could have an excuse to escape. Gwaine took pity on his friend, as he fiddled with a loose end on his scarf.

“You going to tell me his name? How you met? Or am I supposed to guess?”

Merlin’s head shot up, and confusion warred with disbelief. 

“You’re not mad?”

“Nope. Sure, I’m a little hurt you didn’t trust me but I’m not mad. Go on, tell me all the sordid details. Don’t miss anything out on my account.”

Gwaine finished his proclamation with a lewd wink. The mood of the room visibly lightened as a grin made itself home on Merlin’s lips.

“Gwaine you dirty bastard. A gentleman does not kiss and tell.”

Gwaine leaned forward, interested.

“Ah, so there has been a kiss? Possibly a shag? So what is the name of the man who has deflowered my lovely Merlin?”

Merlin snorted, but the blush still stained his cheeks.

“No-one’s deflowered anyone. But his name’s Arthur.”

“Hmm.. Arthur.” Gwaine tried the name out. “How did you catch ‘Arthur’s attention?”

Merlin’s mouth opened before snapping shut again. He looked a little like a goldfish when he did that. He mumbled something quickly under his breath.

“What?”

“I may or may not have accidently-tripped-over-and-thrown-my-coffee-all-over-him.”

Merlin said the last bit in a rush, a lingering feeling of mortification flickering over his face. Gwaine sniggered but persevered on.

“And it was love at first sight?”

“Hell no. We got into an argument on the pavement. He called me an idiot country-boy and I called an arrogant, elitist clotpole.”

Gwaine’s hand fluttered to his chest, and rested it over his heart.

“How romantic. And who said romance is dead?”

“Sod off.”

Gwaine threw back his head and laughed in mirth. It didn’t exactly help his headache but it didn’t matter because Merlin was laughing too. Silence soon fell upon the kitchen again but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one this time – both parties were still smiling. Which is precisely why Gwaine decided to slip the other question he had been dying to ask to Merlin.

“When am I gonna meet loverboy?”

Merlin’s eyes darted towards Gwaine to check that he was serious. Which Gwaine was. Deadly so. The smile lost some of its shine and became a bit strained.

“Perhaps that’s not the greatest idea..”

“I just want to meet him so i know he’s not a wanker.”

Merlin’s brow furrowed and a protective look flashed in his eyes. Gwaine didn’t see that look often. 

“He’s not a wanker. Well, actually he is. He’s a right prat but he’s not a douchebag that treats me badly. He’s kind, and loyal and.. -”

“- And the sun shines out of his arse, I get it. I just want to meet him and it’ll put my mind at ease.”

“I really like him Gwaine.”

“Even more reason for me to get to know him. Don’t worry. I won’t scare him off – I just want to get to know the bloke.”

“Alright then. I’ll give him a call. Dinner here this weekend with the others sound good? I suppose it’ll be a good time to introduce him to everyone.”

“Sound’s superb. Now if you don’t mind me, I’m going to go back to bed to try and sleep this hangover off. But before I go, just answer me one more question.”

Merlin eyed Gwaine with suspicion.

“What?”

“Does he have a nice arse?”

“ _Gwaine!_

As Gwaine crawled back into bed he gave himself a mental high five. Phase two if his plan was complete. Now all he had to do was meet this ‘Arthur’ chap and see if he was an apt suitor for Merlin.

**Author's Note:**

> I've left it open for a chapter two but I might not do one. Just depends how motivated I am to do it.
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, feedback is always appreciated and motivates me to write more! Come and find me on Tumblr at **[Owlwithafringe](http://owlwithafringe.tumblr.com/)** , to see updates on fics or to leave me a prompt.


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